Chen Xi returned to the shop, downed a bottle of soda, and continued working.
Qin Zhan wandered over and asked about the used car that Yang Shan’s colleague had been interested in.
Chen Xi only said the car was in poor condition and that she hadn’t let Yang Shan’s colleague buy it, without going into specific details.
As evening approached, Qin Zhan had something to attend to and left early, leaving only Chen Xi and Liu Boyang in the shop.
Chen Xi was lying under the chassis of a car, working intently, when she suddenly sensed something.
She turned her head and saw a pair of feet at the shop entrance.
Chen Xi called out to Liu Boyang from under the chassis: “Boyang, is there a customer?”
Liu Boyang looked up toward the shop entrance. “No.”
When Chen Xi looked toward the shop entrance again, the pair of feet had already disappeared.
She thought it was just someone passing by the entrance and didn’t pay it much mind.
After a few days, Chen Xi forgot about the used car incident.
That afternoon, three cars came to the shop for repairs.
Chen Xi, as usual, chose the most difficult one to work on.
After Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang finished their work, Chen Xi let them go home while she stayed behind to continue repairing the car.
Without realizing it, she worked busily until the night before finishing.
She emerged from the car, wiped the sweat from her forehead, grabbed a cup of water, and drained it in one gulp, then looked up to see a beam of dim yellow light streaming through the corner door from the neighboring VR arcade.
Chen Xi hesitated for a moment, put down her cup, and walked toward the corner door.
Two lights were on in the VR arcade, and Qin Lie was sitting at the computer typing on the keyboard.
Lines of code like hieroglyphics flashed rapidly across the flickering screen.
Chen Xi hesitated for a moment, but she still walked toward him.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Qin Lie’s hands suddenly paused.
He stopped and turned to look behind him.
The two of them silently met each other’s gaze for a moment in the dim lighting.
Chen Xi spoke first: “Been quite busy lately?”
Qin Lie made a sound of agreement, his expression unchanged.
Chen Xi smiled and said naturally, “I’ve been pretty busy too. After this period is over, let’s find a chance to drink together.”
Qin Lie nodded. “Alright.”
Both tacitly avoided mentioning what happened that morning.
After chatting for a couple of sentences, Chen Xi smiled and said, “You’re busy, I’ll head out first.”
Qin Lie nodded and continued typing on the keyboard.
Chen Xi walked out two steps, looked back, and saw the code racing across the screen again.
She smiled, her steps relaxed, and walked out through the corner door.
Tonight’s Qin Lie made Chen Xi’s heart flutter slightly again.
She liked emotionally stable men—those who let reason govern emotion, who knew boundaries best when interacting with others.
Although such people usually knew how to take things in stride and let go, never dragging their feet or clinging to anything.
Qin Lie listened to the footsteps disappear beyond the corner door, and his hands typing on the keyboard suddenly stopped.
After a moment of silence, he shut down the computer, got up, and went home.
The wind was a bit strong tonight, the night sky clear and filled with stars.
Qin Lie got into his car but wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He silently smoked a cigarette, seeing that the lights on Chen Xi’s side hadn’t gone out yet.
He stubbed out the cigarette butt and silently started the car.
Just after driving a short distance, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a black shadow flashing by in his rearview mirror.
Qin Lie wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
He stared at the rearview mirror for a while, didn’t notice anything unusual, so he turned the steering wheel and drove out.
After driving just a short distance, he suddenly slammed on the brakes.
He still felt uneasy.
He stopped the car and, trying to keep his footsteps as light as possible, walked in the shadows toward Chen Xi’s shop entrance.
The lights in the shop suddenly went out. Chen Xi walked out, locked the door, and headed toward her motorcycle.
Suddenly, Qin Lie’s heart began pounding wildly, and he ran toward Chen Xi.
He saw a shadow quietly emerge from the darkness, following Chen Xi, with a crowbar raised high in their hand.
Qin Lie didn’t have time to think and crashed into that person.